Railroads workers began blasting through the ancient granite mountains in 1869, by 1879, the workers had made it to Swannanoa and Asheville in 1880. It took another eleven years to extend the line to Murphy, which is near the North Carolina-Tennessee state line. The railroad opened up Asheville to the world and the City had developed into a health retreat. George Vanderbilt escorted his malaria-plagued Mother to Asheville, where Geroge was smitten by the natural beauty of the high valley, and he stayed. Envisioning a palatial home fitting his status, he embarked upon a dream home only the most wealthy could imagine.
In 1889, Vanderbilt representatives began buying up land south of Asheville, and by the end of 1889 had accumulated 6000 acres. The Asheville Daily Citizen’s first sentence wrote “Barrels of money for acres of land! Or, to be plainer, over $400,000 for a little over 8,000 acres of dirt.” Rumors persisted about what was going on down there until, finally, one reporter skedaddled on a horse down Main St for two miles to discover boulders being drilled or dynamited out of the ground, with which a foundation would be constructed, along with land clearing and white pine seedlings being planted.
Wealthy bachelor George Vanderbilt collaborated with renowned architect Richard Morris Hunt and landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted in the late 1880s to create his mountain estate, Biltmore, in North Carolina.
Hunt modeled the architecture of the 250-room centerpiece mansion after ornate 16th century French chateaus. Olmsted complemented this with both formal and naturalistic gardens sprawling over the 8,000 acre grounds.
After 6 years of construction, the monumental Biltmore House opened in 1895 as the largest private residence in America, complete with advanced amenities like electricity.
While the mansion exemplifies Hunt’s talents, Olmsted’s surrounding landscapes provide a majestic mountain backdrop. Their combined creative vision produced an estate of grand scale and beauty.
Inside, bedrooms and parlors occupied the upper floors, while below the stairs an innovative domestic center enabled servant operations. Vanderbilt also installed leisure facilities like a victoriaan era fitness center, pool, and bowling alley for his guests’ enjoyment.
Both an architectural and engineering landmark, Biltmore Estate remains a testament to Vanderbilt’s fortune and his team’s creative genius in merging art, nature, and technology.